EUROPE'S Ryder Cup hopes are boosted with Edoardo Molinari, Henrik Stenson and Rory McIlroy all sitting just one shot off the pace at Valhalla.

A delighted Lee Westwood walks off after shooting a 65 to take the lead in Kentucky

LEE WESTWOOD blazed a trail towards Gleneagles yesterday with his best-ever score at the US PGA – on the Valhalla course where he suffered his biggest Ryder Cup heartbreak.

The English ace finished with four consecutive birdies to take the first-round lead as his six-under 65 gave a massive boost to his bid to make Europe’s team this year.

And world No.1 Rory McIlroy is hot on his heels after a blistering finish of five birdies in the last seven holes.

McIlroy is well placed just a stroke behind Westwood whose game was in crisis last month after missing four straight cuts. But he’s hit the range and the gym since The Open and found his old form with a 63 in the final round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational last Sunday.

Yesterday he carded nine birdies and even with a double-bogey he still equalled his best score in a Major.

Westwood, tied at the top with American pair Kevin Chappell and Ryan Palmer, said: “It was a good round. A bit of momentum is a wonderful thing.

“Last week was a big one for me. Going into it I felt like I had turned the corner. I was starting to swing it a lot better but that’s no good unless you start converting it into low rounds.

“The first three rounds were frustrating because I played a lot better than three over.

“Then obviously I got it going the final day and shot 63. I tried to keep it low-key in the practice rounds here, just playing nine holes each day, and carry that momentum through to the first round which I have managed to do.”

The Englishman was part of Nick Faldo’s unhappy team who lost here in Kentucky in 2008. He also suffered the indignity of learning he was being benched for Saturday’s foursomes – ending a run of 27 matches played – while still on the course.

Westwood said: “My thoughts from the Ryder Cup when it was here were disappointment because we lost.”

This year he’s outside the nine automatic places as he seeks a ninth straight Ryder Cup appearance for Paul McGinley’s team.

The world No.34 said: “I’ve had chats with Paul and he said to try to show some form. I don’t know whether he’s just looking for a reason to pick me but I’ve shot 63 last Sunday and I’m leading a Major this week.

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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walks off the 18th green after carding a 66

“So I’m ticking that box for him and I think he probably looks back at my record and sees I have a fair amount of experience in Ryder Cups. But I’d rather qualify for the team.”

McIlroy went from shocked and annoyed to being delighted with his mental strength after repairing the damaging of a mid-round calamity.

The Northern Irishman ran up a double-bogey seven on the 10th after hooking his second shot out of bounds and then three-putted the 11th. But he responded with four birdies in a row and narrowly missed several good chances before carding another on
the 18th.

The Open champion said: “I was really annoyed. The second shot on 10 was a bit of a shock, it’s the worst one I have hit the last few weeks. It came out of the blue and knocked me off track but to come back the way I did was great.

“I needed that and it shows mentally where I am at with my game. It could have been a couple better if those last few putts had dropped but 66 is a solid start.”

Edoardo Molinari, Chris Wood and Henrik Stenson sit alongside McIlroy at five under on a European-dominated leaderboard.

Dutchman Joost Luiten and Ian Poulter are three under. The hero of Medinah, who has also struggled for form and fitness, admitted the Ryder Cup was a motivation.

Poulter said: “I can’t ignore it because it’s everywhere you look. The time has been running out towards it and I want to be fit and ready to go.

“The overall state of my game is pleasing today because it hasn’t been there for a little while.”